Overhead stowage compartments (so-called Fixed-Bins) in aircraft are often closed by means of upwardly opening doors. In the opened state, these doors frequently protrude into the aisle. As a result, lights and air outlets may be covered. Particularly in aircraft with two aisles (Twin-Aisle aircraft) that have a relatively small cross section and feature centrally arranged luggage compartments (Center-Bins) in addition to the lateral luggage compartments, this may lead to space problems or to large areas of the ceiling being covered if the doors of the lateral bins and the center bins are opened simultaneously because the door may open in the direction of the user and the user may have to duck his head or step back, which is very difficult or even impossible in the confined space situation.
In order to avoid such situations, pivoted stowage compartments can be installed in the overhead area. These stowage compartments do not feature a door, but rather are entirely pivoted into the ceiling area when a piece of luggage is placed therein or removed there from. Due to the mechanical elements and bearings, however, these pivoted luggage stowage compartments may be relatively heavy, complicated with respect to their manufacture and maintenance and therefore comparatively expensive. Furthermore, these pivoted luggage stowage compartments may have a smaller volume for accommodating pieces of luggage than fixed luggage stowage compartments.
DE 10 2007 030 331 A1 and WO 2009/003945 A1 disclose stowage compartment modules for an interior of an aircraft that feature a receptacle and a housing for accommodating the receptacle. The receptacle can be pivoted downward in order to expose the opening of the stowage compartment.
The feature that the receptacle can be pivoted upward into the housing (and therefore into the area of the cabin ceiling) may have the effect that the stowage compartment volume is limited in comparison with Fixed-Bins.